switchlogic:
Geoffo:
switchlogic:
Being quite frankly one of this countries finest class one drivers I feel I’m quite within my rights to look down on everyone. You’re all scum in my eyes.Luke. English isn’t my first language, so I can never tell if your being serious or just having a laugh, which is what we’re used too.
Easy way to know, if I’m talking about how great a driver I am I’m taking the ■■■■ out of myself, as we all know I’m not very good at driving!
I’ll remember that from now on.
Punchy Dan:
Class 1 superiority complex ? More like artic driver syndrome,just to add when I park on the services in my rigid & trailer in the marked bay designed for mr artic my cab sticks out approx 6 ft odd more than the maximum length artic
I feel your pain; the more so when I’m toting the Moffett as well. Been told before by artic drivers that it’s actually over-length; not so, the Moffett counts as part of the load, not the outfit as far as DVSA are concerned.
@ the OP; you will feel a whole lot happier should you ever get to observe the total pig’s ear that any long-time artic driver will make of trying to reverse a rigid. Pure comedy gold, Mr. Bean couldn’t do better!
Reef:
The way I look at it EVERY driver is a complete and utter brain dead (rhymes with) “Anchor”, though I’m pleased to say the vast majority still manage to prove me wrong.And just for the record I always flash you lower class citizens in, though there really is no need to get so excited you nigh on break the indicator stalk with the over excessive thank you flashes, you’re welcome peasants.
we have to use the indicators like that because we have pushed the hazard light switch through the dashboard in our exuberance to say thank you
Why does it have to be ‘them and us’ . its the TYPE of the vehicle , not the class of the driver ,there’s plenty of poor class drivers as we know driving a class one (type) and visa versa .
lschwing"]To be fair, when I think about it, it’s not dissimilar to how people who become directors likely see themselves as a cut above the senior managers, who probably see themselves as a cut above the middle managers, etc. When people reach ‘the next stage’ they feel they’ve accomplished something over the people that haven’t, and to be fair they have.
But I’m not really interested in getting my Class 1 at the minute. It’s not lack of ambition. It’s more that I like vehicles that have a secondary purpose rather than transporting stuff. I’m about to officially do my HIAB training so I can use it offsite (know how to operate it but only use it onsite to load FEL containers, etc). Next step is to properly learn the FEL trucks which I’ve quite enjoyed so far. There’s just something I enjoy about operating machinery.
In the future I’ll possibly look into mobile cranes as that’s something that interests me, although admittedly I haven’t had much exposure to that type of work. I wonder where they stand in the whole perceived hierarchy of things. Significantly heavier than an arctic but still Class 2. I could be completely wrong but I’m guessing they’re still easier to manoeuvre than arctics, but then again the driving is only part of it.
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toshboy:
Why does it have to be ‘them and us’ . its the TYPE of the vehicle
Class 2 with 102 restriction.
youtube.com/watch?v=D0a0You4dQc
I drive a class 2 but got my class 1 at 22 whilst I was an HGV fitter .
Stopped doing that at 24 .
Have never driven a class 1 on the road apart from going to and from test station or collecting from customers premises .
So been driving rigids all my life and am now 58, nights away , nationwide not that pallet network business thanks . Never interested me driving a class 1 and now at 58 no thank you .but to go back to the OP original post I tend to find if anything the class 1 drivers are fine with me at service stations / truck stops etc . If anything I tend to find some other class 2 drivers more disrespectful/ test asses . Just my opinion.
I think…
Class 2/3 should be on a higher hourly rate than class 1.
Having said that, perhaps it’s more an inferiority complex about themselves?
edit typo
In my current but soon to be ending role as a wagon and drag driver I get to see it from both perspectives. Without the drag I’m ‘merely’ just a class 2 driver but with the drag I’m superior to artic drivers because my vehicle is longer [emoji23]
Got to say, not noticed much difference to be honest. [emoji3526]
yourhavingalarf:
I think…Class 2/3 should be on a higher hourly rate than class 1.
Having said that, perhaps it’s more an inferioty complex about themselves?
Why should class 2/3 drivers be on a higher hourly rate for driving a van?
On my firm, 7.5t, class 2 and class1 all get paid the same.
I’m a multi drop artic driver and would never go back to doing the same in a rigid as I once did, whether it’s easier driving class 1 in this role is open to conjecture but I well remember my early days of doing this on class 1 and rocking up to a delivery point and thinking how the ■■■■ am I reversing in there or turning in that place. It was never like that in my early days of driving a rigid which is essentially the same as driving a car or van but a bit longer.
I had a few days in a rigid a while ago. Tried reversing it, and it went the wrong way compared to my artic!
Give those lads extra!
nomiS36:
In my current but soon to be ending role as a wagon and drag driver I get to see it from both perspectives. Without the drag I’m ‘merely’ just a class 2 driver but with the drag I’m superior to artic drivers because my vehicle is longer [emoji23]
Got to say, not noticed much difference to be honest. [emoji3526]
The difference is the W&d driver can jump on an artic no problem but the artic man on an W&d Is laughable
We have all sizes of truck at our place and the Class two work is more challenging. Tight sites, narrow lanes and “Unsuitable for HGV” lanes a speciality.
Our company pay all drivers the same for this reason. I drove rigids most days and the work is more challenging and as a result, more interesting.
There’s a definite change in attitude from some other drivers compared to when I’m in an artic for the day though.
Punchy Dan:
nomiS36:
In my current but soon to be ending role as a wagon and drag driver I get to see it from both perspectives. Without the drag I’m ‘merely’ just a class 2 driver but with the drag I’m superior to artic drivers because my vehicle is longer [emoji23]
Got to say, not noticed much difference to be honest. [emoji3526]The difference is the W&d driver can jump on an artic no problem but the artic man on an W&d Is laughable
It can’t be that difficult Dan, you manage to drive one.
Everyone wants to be superior. Coach drivers think they are superior because they have to wear a polyester tie and carry passengers. International drivers think they are superior because they travel around Europe. Removal drivers think they are superior because they are ‘removalists’ not lorry drivers.
Fact is HGV class 2 multidrop is one of the hardest jobs in the industry, and class one RDC work is some of the easiest work. I know I’ve done both. Also for family life class one can be terrible, whereas class 2 drivers can get back to see their wife can kids far more.
Skip and tipper drivers do a lot of harm to the image of class 2 drivers. 
I’d say to Class 2 drivers that they should absolutely get a class one licence if they don’t already have one.
-You already have experience so can actually get a class one job vs a newly passed driver.
-You know how to drive a large vehicles. eg bridges weight restrictions etc.
-You understand tachos and driver hours as well as anybody else.
-You can then have a class one, but choose to drive class 2, or get a better paid or easier job if you want one.
Of course we that drive Class 1 are superior to any other truck on the road.
It also helps if you have a load of lights, alloy wheels, exhaust stacks and horns on your megatrotterspacecab, and that way it’s a kind of “Look at me, I have a bigger willy than you.”
We also expect you to flash us in when necessary, and we have no reason to flash you in when you pass in your puddle jumper. After all, why should we lower ourselves to your puny level? You are just a multi drop pleb, whereas we are King of the road, and the country should clap and bow to our superiority.
After all, if it wasn’t for us super truckers, you wouldn’t be able to drive your little toy, as we supply more of the parts to the plants to build your Tonka truck.
Ken.
cooper1203:
Reef:
The way I look at it EVERY driver is a complete and utter brain dead (rhymes with) “Anchor”, though I’m pleased to say the vast majority still manage to prove me wrong.And just for the record I always flash you lower class citizens in, though there really is no need to get so excited you nigh on break the indicator stalk with the over excessive thank you flashes, you’re welcome peasants.
we have to use the indicators like that because we have pushed the hazard light switch through the dashboard in our exuberance to say thank you
Oh you mean the “I can park anywhere, I’ll only be 5 minutes” switch…
a half mile reverse in a ridgid ?
Try it in a fully loaded artic with 2 blind corners down to a low bridge to get unloaded . 20 loads of precast concrete to that job .
We are not all RDC chimps - in fact some of us try our best to stay away from these places and work on the wild side .
beefy4605:
a half mile reverse in a ridgid ?Try it in a fully loaded artic with 2 blind corners down to a low bridge to get unloaded . 20 loads of precast concrete to that job .
We are not all RDC chimps - in fact some of us try our best to stay away from these places and work on the wild side .
Not all ‘rigids’ and RDC ‘chimps’ are equal would prefer that job on a Class 2 with 102 than building deliveries with an artic.
youtube.com/watch?v=Y3LWJbvL-38
